Broken Reality
by Slippant
Summary: Roxas’ shattered memories are trapped in Sora’s heart…the Destiny Trio receives a letter from the King…and the mysterious Keybearers in armour that dominate Riku’s dreams…What does it mean? When will the pieces finally be lined up?
1. Prolouge: Shattered Dreams

**Summary: Roxas' shattered memories are trapped in Sora's heart…the Destiny Trio receives a letter from the King…and the mysterious Keybearers in armour that dominate Riku's dreams…What does it mean? When will the pieces finally be lined up?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Kingdom Hearts. Lame, lame, lame.**

_A hooded figure, melting through the rain…_

'Another dream about him…'

_The shadows sprung from the ground, their predator eyes eyeing him hungrily…_

'The Heartless?'

_He summoned his blades, whirring them in a chaotic frenzy, slicing the shadows into balls of dark smoke…_

'Number 13. Roxas. The Keyblades' Chosen One.'

_Another boy, on top of the skyscraper, with flowing silver hair…_

'I can only say that Riku lost that fight…'

'Nobodies do not really exist at all…'

_I cannot feel…_

_So why am I so sad?_

Sweating, Sora slowly sat up, his bedcovers creasing as he did so. The spiky haired youth looked around his room, at the clock that never worked, at the hand-made, orange pouch he had discovered in Twilight Town, at the blue, shimmering crystal next to it…

Ah. The painful dreams…no. Not dreams. Memories. A shattered memory of such a lonely little boy…

Why was Roxas so sad? Hadn't reconnecting with Sora, being absorbed into his originals body, been what he wanted?

Why was able to feel at all? Weren't Nobodies meant to have no emotion? They only pretend to?

Or pretend to pretend to?

So many memories…

Wasn't the battle meant to have ended?

Yes, I know it's short. But it _is _a prologue. An introduction. The next chapter will be longer. Reviews!


	2. Chapter One: Disfigured Thoughts

**Disclaimer: Don't own KH. Cool.**

**Ok, a proper chapter now.**

Chapter 1: Disfigured Thoughts 

Sora found Riku sitting on the Papou tree, where they had first talked about other worlds, so long ago…they had all matured since. Physically, mentally and emotionally. Riku still had his trademark silver hair, and still liked wearing yellow and blue, but he was different in his subtle ways. Rather than thrown back, his fringe hung down over his forehead, shielding his eyes. His top was yellow, as always, but bigger, with no markings and slanted just slightly. Instead of baggy trousers he wore jeans and a belt, again slanted, a chain hanging from them. He was gazing out at the beautiful ocean scenery, again. But he wasn't just sight seeing: Sora knew he was deep in thought, and he knew what about too. He clambered other the trunk of the Papou tree, and leaned against it, the rough bark rubbing his skin slightly. Riku acknowledged him with a quick glance.

"Nothings changed, has it?" asked Riku quietly.

"No. Nothing ever will." Sora had to work hard to keep the strain from his voice. His chest still hurt…

"Such a small world…"

"Yeah…" Sora smiled, despite the pain his friend knew nothing of. "But part of one that's much greater…" Desperate to make some sort of conversation out of this, he turned to Riku. "Hey, Riku? What do you think it was, that door to the light?" Stupid. A stupid question, it didn't matter what the answer was.

But Riku just ignored the oddness of it. That was Riku: he loved oddities. Riku all over. "This" he said, indicating to the middle of Sora's chest, just beneath his throat. His heart. A wave of pain reverberated through him again, and he realised were it was coming from this time. Roxas wasn't just living in Sora's memories, he was inside Sora's heart, too…didn't someone say once that Roxas held half of Sora's power? Was his heart Roxas himself?

He disguised his agony quickly. He never realised he was such a good actor; it was usually Riku who kept the blank face. Either that, or Riku had noticed but said nothing. Did he have similar problems when remnants of Xehanort's Heartless had remained in his heart, even after his destruction? Had he been plagued by the shadowy, fragmented memories of that callous man?

"This?" He pointed at his chest himself.

"Yeah. Its closer than you think." Normally, Sora would have been flattered by this…have some witty remark…but the pain was too much. Was his Nobody's naturally depressed personality taking root?

He was saved by the arrival of another familiar voice.

"Sora! Riku!"

Turning around, they saw Kairi running toward them. Kairi…she had matured as well. Rather than the baggy miniskirt and top she wore before, she had donned a tight fitting pink dress, and he would leave the details at that. When Riku had loaned her The Wrath of the Earth Keyblade at the World that Never Was, she had been surprisingly capable. Not so much with the weapon, but with the task of coping with the Heartless. Just wielding a Keyblade needed skill. She was a constant target for Sora and Riku's enemies, and she always seemed to be kidnapped eventually. But she never complained, never cried, never got angry…well. Not very angry. But she was a strong person. Did she suffer from having Naminé absorbed into her? Likely as not.

In her hands she held a bottle, droplets of water glistening on it. A cork lay in the opening. She gave it to him, indicating for him to open it.

"What is it?" Then he noticed the letter, and the seal on it. Three circles, overlapping so they looked like a head with two large, round ears, which made sense. It was whom they represented.

"From the King?" Sora asked excitedly, his pain forgotten, he opened it quickly

He gazed up at the silver castle, the turrets and battlements emblazoned with the well-known symbol. Xemnas had turned the Nobodies into a brand, as his true form had done with the Heartless. Quite pathetic really. But in the end, his business had collapsed.

Too much competition.

Now, the Heartless would be used for a very different purpose. And an ironic one, to say the least.

Slowly, Verdepa made his way through the sprawling city of neon lights and pointless skyscrapers. In the stormy sky above, a gargantuan moon shaped like a heart rested. But it looked like it had suffered an explosion, which, of course, it had. The surface was breached, with the satellites core exposed, a mysterious mix of different shades of purple. Rings of white energy whizzed around it like little children, children who didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

Now that rang a bell.

Verdepa crossed the Brink of Despair, ignoring the holographic moogle offering him a mythril ring. Blasted things, they popped everywhere. You couldn't even destroy them, due to it only being a projection. _The next time he met a moogle in the flesh,_ he thought. _I'll rip that pompom right off its ugly head._ Yes, that would do it.

But first he needed to deliver his report. It was same old. _Yes, sir, it worked. Yes sir. No sir. Why don't we just kill him, it's far easier? Sir. Yes, I know that, but…yes sir. Right away._

Yes sir! No sir! Verdepa's blood boiled every time he had to say that to his Master. If he weren't for the cause they were working toward, he would have left that regimenting freak months ago. But really struck him to the quick, was how he was the only one who _cared _about the obedience. All the others actually liked sucking up to him.

_Dear Sora, Riku and Kairi._

_How you doing? Everything here is fine, just in case the sudden appearance of this letter worried you. Getting right on point, I've organised a big party for the three of you over at Radiant Garden! It's looking great now, the castle's been rebuilt and everything. Without the Heartless symbol, of course. We'll all meet you at The Grand Hall, ok?_

_I'll send Donald and Goofy over with the Gummi ship to get you._

_Cheers,_

King Mickey 

Kairi turned to Sora, curious. "What kind of world is Radiant Garden?"

He grinned at her goofily, the way he always did. Same old Sora. Messy hair, gothic chain on his neck, and clothes fit for a Prince, though he always appeared to passers by as 'just some kid'. They were wrong, so wrong…

"Oh, you should know it well, Kairi, It is where you were born, after all…"

"You mean Hollow Bastion!?" Sora just nodded at this. Kairi whistled lowly. "Err…when did it get a rename?

"Technically," chuckled Sora. "It's always been called Radiant Garden. "But due to a confusing set of events that had nothing whatsoever to do with me, everyone forgot that and called it Hollow Bastion for lack of anything else. And then due to another set of confusing events-"

"Which were completely to do with you?" muttered Riku quietly. Kairi giggled, Sora just frowned.

"-Everyone remembered again. Wahoo, hooray, the end."

"So when's the ship getting here?"

"Should be any moment now. Can't wait to see Donald and Goofy again!"

"Yeah," Laughed Kairi. "You gotta love those two idiots."

As if on cue, a gummi ship dropped from the sky at that moment.

It's longer, but the next one will be even more so, in Chapter two: Twisted Friends! Reviews welcome!

_Sneak Preview:_

"Donald?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you have an accent anymore?"


End file.
